Flexible connector for toy construction sets



March 1966 G. K. CHRISTIANSEN FLEXIBLE CONNECTOR FOR TOY CONSTRUCTION SETS Filed Jan. 17, 1963 maa MFM United States Patent 3,242,610 FLEXIBLE CONNECTOR FOR TOY CONSTRUCTION SETS Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, Billnn'd, Denmark, assignor to Interlego A.G., Zug, Switzerland Filed Jan. 17, 1963, Ser. No. 252,162 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Jan. 10, 1963, 1,112/ 63 2 Claims. (Cl. 4626) This invention relates to toys and more particularly to an improvement in the art of construction toys of the type characterized by components which are temporarily frictionally interengaged for the construction of a model, but are readily, manually released from such interengagement when needed as raw material for construction of another model. Examples of toys of the type to which the present invention relates are to be found in Letters Patent 3,005,- 282 and 3,034,254.

When the interconnection scheme of the referenced patents had been achieved and was available for play purposes, the children were quick to appreciate the versatility of the system and simulation of vehicles became quite as common a use of the materials as did simulation of building structures. Kits providing wheels were made available and this, of course, had the effect of stimulating use of the system for making various types of rolling stock, automobiles, trucks, planes, trains, etc.

Now the very essence of a railway is articulated units and indeed the articulated multiple trailer is getting to be nearly as characteristic of the trucking industry. However, this feature of articulation has been heretofore lacking in the system described above,

It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing deficiency and to provide a flexible unit by which articulated units may be connected while at the same time providing an accessory capable of interconnecting static building units through many degrees of arc to provide thresholds, arches or other structural accessories both ornamental and functional.

Other objects and adavantages of this invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof in conjunction with the annexed drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a novel flexible interconnector constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view in side elevation of the flexible interconnector of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view partially in plan and partially in horizontal section showing a typical use of the new flexible interconnector, the upper surface of a brick being broken away to illustrate the manner of interlock of the studs on the interconnector with the side and end walls and inner projections of a brick; and,

FIGURE 4 is a view partially in side elevation and partially in vertical section illustrating the same brick and interconnector as are shown in FIGURE 3.

Referring in detail first to FIGURES 1 and 2, the numerals and 11 designate two 16 mm. square sheets of flexible nylon translucent material about 1 mm. thick. Upper surfaces 12 and 13 respectively of these sheets 19 and 11 show in FIGURE 1. Interconnecting these is an integral cord member 14. The upper surface of cord member 14 lies in the same plane as the surfaces 12 and 13 of square sheets 10 and 11 but the lower surface thereof projects below the plane of the lower surface of said squares about 1 mm., see FIG. 2. Thus, the cord 14 is about twice as thick as the square sheets which it interconnects. It is about the same width as the thickness of one of the squares 10 or 11. The selection of nylon material is so made as to provide a tough, resilient, durable connection. The length of the cord 14 between squares 10 and 11 is equal to the standard length of a six stud uni-t of the type shown in Patent 3,005,282. Although the specific length of the cord member 14 is not critical, to make it equal the length of one of the standard units is desirable.

The upper surface of each square 10 and 11 has projecting therefrom four studs or protuberances. Studs 15, 16, 17 and 18 which project from square 10 are numbered because they will be employed in the description associated with FIGURES 3 and 4. The exactly similar studs projecting from square 11 are not numbered.

In FIGURES 3 and 4 there are shown a pair of eight stud bricks 19 and 20 interconnected through square sheets 10 and 11 and their integral cord member 14. As is shown in Patent No. 3,005,282, the brick 19 has an upper surface with two rows of studs projecting upwardly therefrom. The brick is made up in a fashion such that an eight stud brick as shown is precisely twice as long as it is wide. The studs are arranged to co-act with the inner surface of the side walls of the brick and the outer surface of hollow cylindrical members which project downward within the interior of the brick. In FIGURES 3 and 4, three such hollow cylinders are provided and they bear numbers 21, 22 and 23 respectively. If one now looks at FIGURE 3, it will be seen that each stud or protuberance tangentially contacts three surfaces. The stud 17 for example, contacts the end wall surface of the block 19, one of the side wall surfaces and the outer surface of the projection 21. The stud 18 on the other hand contacts only one side wall of the block 19 but contacts two of the inner projections 21 and 22. All of the studs of the type 15, 16, 17 and 18 are arranged to wedge in some fashion between side walls of the block and the outer surface of the cylindrical projections such as 21, 22 and 23. The flexibility of the block is such that the side walls and cylindrical projections are lightly strained in elastic deformation. This pinch is what holds the block together and the same pinch is what holds the projections on the sheet 12 in engagement with the block 19.

The member 14 is entirely flexible so that the blocks as shown in FIGURE 3 can be bent all the way around so that the side wall of the block 20 touches and registers with either of the side walls of the block 19.

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible interconnector for interconnecting plastic building blocks of the type having a pattern of protu-berances on an outer surface thereof and means within the blocks for individually frictionally engaging with said protuberances, comprising at least two flat sheets mutually interconnected by a single, integral means comprising a member narrow but thick in relation to said sheets and sutficiently long and flexible readily to permit movement to said sheets into coplanar edge-to-edge contact, each of said sheets having on one surface thereof means comprising a pattern of protuberances corresponding to at least enough of the pattern of the protuberances of the blocks with which it is to be used to be individually frictionally engaged by the means within the blocks.

2. A flexible interconnector for interconnecting plastic building blocks of the type having a pattern of protuberances on an outer surface thereof and means within the blocks for individually frictionally engaging with said protuberances, comprising at least two flat sheets mutually interconnected by a single, centrally located, integral means comprising a member narrow but thick in relation to said sheets and half again longer than the sheet width and sufliciently flexible readily to permit movement of said sheets into coplanar edge-to-edge contact, each of said sheets having on one surface thereof means commi 3 4 ing a pattern of protuberances corresponding to at least 2,775,093 12/1956 Kundert 4630 X enough of the pattern of the protuber qnges of the blocks I 2,791,868 5/ 1957 Viken 4630 with which it is to be used to be individually frictionally 3,005,282 10/ 1961 Christiansen 46-25 engaged by the means within the blocks, said intercon- 3,092,334 6/1963 Heme 4617 X nector being Wholly made of nylon. 5

FOREIGN PATENTS References Cited by the Examiner 1,210,151 9/1959 France UNITED STATES PATENTS 21,806 9/1961. .Germany.

2,013,771 9/1935 Tomkins 4625 X 2,712,200 7/1955 D earlin g 46 28 10 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examzner.

2,747,324 5/ 1956 Zalkind 4626 X F. B. SHAY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FLEXIBLE INTERCONNECTOR FOR INTERCONNECTING PLASTIC BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE TYPE HAVING A PATTERN OF PROTUBERANCES ON AN OUTER SURFACE THEREOF AND MEANS WITHIN THE BLOCKS FOR INDIVIDUALLY FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING WITH SAID PROTUBERANCES, COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO FLAT SHEETS MUTUALLY INTERCONNECTED BY A SINGLE, INTEGRAL MEANS COMPRISING A MEMBER NARROW BUT THICK IN RELATION TO SAID SHEETS AND SUFFICIENTLY LONG AND FLEXIBLE READILY TO PERMIT MOVEMENT TO SAID SHEET INTO COPLANAR EDGE-TO-EDGE CONTACT, 